FLUSHING, N.Y. – The Queens College Women's Soccer team opened a two-match homestand on Wednesday evening, welcoming the Post University Eagles to Knights Field for a non-conference matchup.
Senior midfielder
Adriana Melgar (Queens, N.Y.) delivered the breakthrough in the 39th minute, scoring her first goal of the season to give the Knights a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. Leading 1-0, sophomore goalie
Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Plainview, N.Y.) anchored the backline, turning away the Eagles' attempts as Queens held off a late rally to secure the shutout victory.
MATCH RECAP
It was all Queens in the first half, as the Knights dominated play with a 12-1 shot advantage and a commanding 9-0 edge in corner kicks over Post
Making her first career start, redshirt-freshman forward
Rebecca Pino (Bellport, N.Y.) made an immediate impact, registering three shots in the opening six minutes as the Knights pushed for an early breakthrough.
Despite Queens creating several early set-piece opportunities, the Eagles' defense would hold firm. The visitors recorded their first shot on goal in the 16
th minute, but Hines-Hirsch came up with a timely save to keep the match scoreless.
From there, it was all Knights for the remainder of the half as they controlled possession and continued to apply pressure.
The duo of redshirt-sophomore defender
Ava Lekanides (Garden City, N.Y.) and rookie
Grace Kinney (Sammamish, WA) each tested the keeper with back-to-back shots on target, but the Eagles' goalkeeper turned both efforts away.
Queens kept the intensity high, and in the 39
th minute, Lekanides forced another save that led to the Knights' ninth corner kick of the half. On the ensuing play, rookie forward
Avery Shreffler (Westlake, OH) delivered a well-placed inswinger into the box, where Melgar capitalized, slotting a shot into the bottom left corner to give the Knights a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
In the opening 10 minutes of the second half, Post University came out strong, keeping the Knights pinned in their own half and limiting their attacking chances. As Post continued to push for an equalizer, they outpaced the Knights offensively in the second half, limiting Queens to just two shots on goal while recording three of their own. Despite the pressure, the Knights' backline remained composed.
Anchored by Hines-Hirsch and a resilient defensive unit, Queens stood tall in the final minutes to secure their second shutout victory of the season, closing out the match with a hard-fought 1-0 win.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Melgar recorded her first goal and game-winner of the year.
- Rookie Shreffler tallied her first career assist and first point of the year.
- In goal, sophomore Samantha Hines-Hirsch (Plainview, N.Y.) recorded three saves.
- The Knights outshot the Eagles 18-5, 8-3 shots on goal.
NEXT MATCH
The Knights conclude their homestand on Saturday, October 11, as they welcome the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans to Knights Field for East Coast Conference action. Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m.
For the latest news on Queens College Athletics, follow the Knights at queensknights.com or via social media on Facebook (Queens College Athletics), X (Formerly Twitter) (@QCKnights), Instagram (qcknightsny), women's soccer (qcwsoccer)
